Grilling with Gas or Fire? Cookbooks (and recipes!) up for debate

by Esther Sung

on 05/21/09 at 08:49 PM

First it was barbecue versus grilling. Now it's fire versus gas. It's the neverending debate that rears its (ugly) head when cooks gather around their grills. It's the kind of topic that riles people up and has them expounding on the finer points of different types of fuel(propane, charcoal, wood), grills (does size matter? specialty devices like a rotisserie?), and how each method affects the cooking and the taste of the food. But never mind the finer points. Rather, let's make peace with two recently published cookbooks: Grillin' with Gas by Fred Thompson (Taunton Press) and Wood-Fired Cooking by Mary Karlin (Ten Speed Press).

First at bat, is Grillin' with Gas. Thompson states that most people can't taste the difference between food that's been cooked over a gas grill and food that's been cooked over wood. You be the judge of that. My experience with cooking with a gas grill is that there is an ease and familiarity that comes with it because it's somewhat similar to cooking over a gas stove (knobs!). That said, reading through the list of safety tips was a must. Thompson's book is nicely organized by type of ingredient: beef, pork, seafood, poultry, veggies, and even one dedicated to burgers, dogs, sausages, and pizza. Thompson clearly understands that grilling is an activity that relies on the aid of rubs, marinades, and sauces. His very last chapter is devoted to 21 such recipes. The one shortfall is that there no list of resources. Just where does one buy wine barrel pieces for smoking? Is there an online shop to purchase some of the tools of the trade that Thompson suggests? Thankfully, Epicurious has that covered in ourcomplete Grilling and Barbecue guide.

Now onto wood-burning techniques. If you prefer to get really close to the flames, Wood-Fired Cooking may be for you. Karlin starts off with a historical overview of cooking with fire and through the lesson, we learn about fire pits and chamber ovens, how they differ, and how their offshoots now include fireplaces, smokers, and grills. There's practical information about how to temper clay vessels so they don't crack, as well as instructions for seasoning and cleaning other cookware. After going through the book, I came away thoroughly convinced that there wasn't anything that could not be cooked over fire. Granted, you might need a wood-fired stove, a fireplace, or a ceramic cooker for some of the recipesMt. Taylor Five-Seed Sourdough Bread or Spit-Roasted Leg of Lamb with Tzatziki, anyone?which, for an urban-dweller like myself, or anyone without any special wood-burning equipment, may find difficult to execute. But if you have a grill (kettle, drum, or box), there are still plenty of recipes for you to try such as the Grilled Flank Steak with Red Peppers and Fontina Cheese. And for those who like to rough it a little bit, there's a great chapter on Campfire Cooking with delicious recipes such as Mom's Crazy Chocolate Cake.

After reading through these books, perhaps everyone will come to the agreement that grilling, whether by wood or by gas, is just plain fun.

I also love apple wood for smoking. We have a smoker we got from Costco a few years ago.

If I were into investing into something for my outdoor kitchen, it would be a much better smoker! I love smoked turkey and chicken. Smoked fish is delicious too. And, I have to tell you that dry smoking cheese would be an art I'd love to conquer!